Publication Date: July 1, 2000 | Age Level: 2 and up | Series: Timothy
Timothy is very excited about starting school-until he meets Claude. Claude sits next to him, and he wears all the right clothes, says all the right things, and garners all the praise from his teacher and classmates. Timothy is feeling down, until he meets a girl who's having the same problem with her seatmate....
"Children will easily relate to this tale, in which humor and realism effectively mesh."-Booklist, starred review
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Wearing his brand-new, mom-made sunsuit, Timothy is all set for the first day of school. It looks like nothing can spoil this exciting moment... until perfect Claude shows up in his jacket and tie.
"Hello!" said Timothy. "Nobody wears a sunsuit on the first day of school," said Claude.
It's all downhill from here. Claude has all the right clothes, answers every question correctly, and never has to eat lunch alone. Timothy is just about ready to give up trying when he meets Violet, who is suffering from a similar case of imperfection. Her problem is perfect Grace, who sings, dances, and counts up to a thousand. Soon Timothy and Violet are falling over with the giggles, and those first-day blues are fading fast.
Every school has a Claude or two, and less-than-perfect kids will be absolutely thrilled to read about Timothy's triumph over his initial insecurities. Rosemary Wells, author-illustrator of scads of award-winning books (Bunny Cakes and Emily's First 100 Days of School), has provided all-new illustrations for this edition of her classic. The expressions on Timothy's face, as he goes from innocent hopefulness to bewilderment to crushed dismay--and finally to hiccup-y joy--are true perfection. (Ages 3 to 7) --Emilie Coulter--This text refers to the
Hardcover
edition.
About the Author
Rosemary Wells is the beloved author of more than fifty books for children, including Bunny Cakes and Max's Chocolate Chicken.
Born in New York City, Rosemary Wells grew up in a house "filled with books, dogs, and nineteenth-century music." Her childhood years were spent between her parents' home near Red Bank, New Jersey, and her grandmother's rambling stucco house on the Jersey Shore. Most of her sentimental memories, both good and bad, stem from that place and time. Her mother was a dancer in the Russian Ballet, and her father a playwright and actor. Mrs. Wells says, "Both my parents flooded me with books and stories. My grandmother took me on special trips to the theater and museums in New York. "Rosemary Wells's career as an author and illustrator spans more than 30 years and 60 books. She has won numerous awards, and has given readers such unforgettable characters as Max and Ruby, Noisy Nora, and Yoko. She has also given Mother Goose new life in two enormous, definitive editions, published by Candlewick. Wells wrote and illustrated Unfortunately Harriet, her first book with Dial, in 1972. One year later she wrote the popular Noisy Nora. "The children and our home life have inspired, in part, many of my books. Our West Highland white terrier, Angus, had the shape and expressions to become Benjamin and Tulip, Timothy, and all the other animals I have made up for my stories." Her daughters Victoria and Beezoo were constant inspirations, especially for the now famous "Max" board book series. "Simple incidents from childhood are universal," Wells says. "The dynamics between older and younger siblings are common to all families."But not all of Wells' ideas come from within the family circle. Many times when speaking, Mrs. Wells is asked where her ideas come from. She usually answers, "It's a writer's job to have ideas." Sometimes an idea comes from something she reads or hears about, as in the case of her recent book, Mary on Horseback, a story based on the life of Mary Breckenridge, who founded the Frontier Nursing Service. Timothy Goes to School was based on an incident in which her daughter was teased for wearing the wrong clothes to a Christmas concert. Her dogs, west highland terriers, Lucy and Snowy, work their way into her drawings in expression and body position. She admits, "I put into my books all of the things I remember. I am an accomplished eavesdropper in restaurants, trains, and gatherings of any kind. These remembrances are jumbled up and changed because fiction is always more palatable than truth. Memories become more true as they are honed and whittled into characters and stories."
This is currently #1 on my son's reading list. He could listen to this 20 times a day. I think he likes the fact that it's realistic---there are kids out there like Claude, that really make kids like Timothy not enjoy school as they otherwise would, but then Timothy is able to find a way to overcome his sadness. The pictures are wonderfully expressive. A real gem of a book.
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so vividly it was scary. This book nails the feelings kids go through so perfectly I strongly recommend it to anyone with kids. A great read for the adults as much as for the kids. The artwork is perfect and funny too.
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I've read several of the Timothy stories as a nanny of young children, and I really appreciate the way she deals with children's anxieties and fears in these books. Timothy is a timid child, maybe a little behind his peers as far as his readiness to leap into unpredictable social situations like school and sleepovers. His parents are always caring and accepting of his ways. As a formerly timid child myself, I think I would have found these books very comforting, and I hope my future, probably timid, children will as well.
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